The Immortality of Dorian Gray
by Unholy Trinity
Summary: Can an immortal die? Or does he merely dissapear temporarily... Finally: Chapter 5!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: If I owned LXG and its characters I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, believe me. :)  
  
Author's Notes: This fic is mainly about Dorian Gray, although he is not my favorite character from the movie. That would be Tom Sawyer. Dorian was a good bad guy though, so here's a theory how Dorian didn't really die after all.  
  
*******  
  
-The Immortality of Dorian Gray-  
  
Autumn in London was no fun. Everyone knew that. On that particular evening it was raining. Not an unusual thing for English weather, of course. In the Mason's house in the heart of London, a little girl pressed her nose against the window, staring longingly at the streets outside. How boring it was, being stuck at home. If only she had someone to play with.  
  
"Lisa? What are you doing there?"  
  
Lisa turned her head, shaking her dark curls.  
  
"I'm waiting for mommy. When is she coming back?"  
  
The maid sighed and approached the window, quickly closing the curtains.  
  
"Your mother is not coming home today, Lisa. Maybe you should go to sleep, it's late."  
  
"I'm not tired."  
  
Lisa stepped away from the window, holding her old doll close to her. She walked to the huge marble staircase leading to the bedrooms and the study.  
  
"I want to see daddy's paintings."  
  
"You know you're not allowed to, Lisa."  
  
Lisa ignored her and started up the stairs, one at a time. The maid shook her head, and turned to do some last chores before retiring to bed. Lisa would go to bed when she felt like it. Every member of the household staff gave up on telling Lisa what to do a while ago.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
The study was a large room filled with treasures Lisa's father collected in his life. There were rows upon rows of books, some looked new and modern, while others looked practically ancient. The walls were also covered in paintings. Lisa loved looking at them with daddy. He'd take her by the hand, point out paintings and tell her about their history.  
  
Lisa pushed open the heavy doors to the room, clutching her doll a little tighter. The room was dark. The curtains were drawn. Lisa clumsily lighted a candle, and set it on the huge desk. The light fell on the objects around it. A picture of her and her mother, some sheets of paper with her father's notes, a bottle of ink, and a painting she'd never seen before.  
  
Lisa crawled onto the heavy leather chair and studied it. It was a portrait. Without doubt a new collector's item her father had bought. It featured a man with dark, shoulder length hair and dark eyes. His facial expression radiated smugness and vanity. Lisa traced the lines of his face with her finger while humming a song the maid had taught her.  
  
"Will you play with me?"  
  
She whispered, still tracing the lines in the painting. She stared at it, as if was hypnotizing her. The candle burned itself out after some time. Lisa still sat there in the dark, humming to an orchestra only she could see.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"We don't know what to do with her, doctor. She's been like this ever since her parents died in that horrible accident."  
  
Anne, the maid, closed the door to Lisa's room. Doctor Rosenberg nodded, looking grave.  
  
"Her condition is. exceptional, for a 9 year old child. There seems to be nothing wrong with her ability to think, but she is stubbornly denying the death of her parents."  
  
Anne wiped her eyes.  
  
"I feel so sorry for the poor girl, but we cannot keep her here. She cannot live alone in this forever, and she doesn't have that many relatives. Most of her family lives in America now."  
  
Doctor Rosenberg nodded again.  
  
"I might have to come back more often. You may have noticed that young Elizabeth also has some other issues. She, ah, sees things. Things that are not real."  
  
Anne looked up.  
  
"We knew she was confused, but."  
  
"She is under the impression that a certain Mr. Dorian Gray keeps visiting her. It's extraordinary really. She can describe his looks, his clothing and even their conversations, word by word!"  
  
Anne shook her head, confused.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know about a Mr. Dorian Gray."  
  
Doctor Rosenberg rubbed his head.  
  
"I must leave for another patient, Miss Larkin. But I will return to treat Elizabeth. If she does anything out of the ordinary, please contact me immediately."  
  
Anne led Doctor Rosenberg to the door, and then closed it behind him. Then she hurried up the stairs and locked the new, heavy lock on Mr. Mason's study. No one was ever to enter this room again. Someone would take care of the artifacts in it. Sometime.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Lisa sat on her bed, playing 'tea party' with Miss Mina, her doll. Mr. Gray came up with that new, beautiful name. She gave an empty cup to Miss Mina, took picked another cup up.  
  
"Would you like some tea, Mr. Gray?"  
  
Dorian Gray was sitting on a comfortable chair in the girl's room, watching her play. The corners of his mouth curled into a smirk.  
  
"No thank you, my lady. Perhaps later."  
  
Lisa giggled at being addressed as 'my lady'. She took a cup for herself and took imaginary sips from it. Dorian's eyes traveled to the window, and the people out there, living their everyday lives. He knew the Nautilus will be docking in London in a few days. He'll naturally be there to give them a warm welcome. He smiled at the thought of how they'd react. Nemo, Jekyll, Sawyer, Skinner, and of course, Mina.  
  
A cling of china snapped him out of his thoughts. Lisa was picking up the cups, ready for a new game. Dorian smiled at her. Such a sad soul, that girl was. Oh well.  
  
If only the maid had taken the time to look into the study before she locked it up. She would have noticed that the portrait of Dorian Gray was empty.  
  
After all, he was an immortal. And immortals have the gift of the endless life. So could Dorian Gray, the immortal, die?  
  
Of course not. 


	2. The Empty Painting

DISLAIMER: I don't own.. Zzzzzzzzz.  
  
Authors Notes: This story was supposed to be a one-chapter fic. But after all those reviews I got so many great ideas, so I decided to continue it. So, read and shudder, my dears.  
  
******  
  
-The Immortality of Dorian Gray-  
  
Chapter 2: The Empty Painting  
  
"Please, gentlemen, come in."  
  
Mina Harker took off her hat as she entered her home in London, followed by the other League members. They were all glad to be finally given a break after months of terrorists hunting all around the world. They sat down in large sitting room while the silent maid poured them drinks. Tom Sawyer and Rodney Skinner chattered about one of their past missions, Mrs. Harker was checking through her mail. Henry Jekyll stood slightly apart from the rest, looking through the contents of Mrs. Harker's bookshelf, while Captain Nemo sat quietly in a comfortable chair, sipping a drink given to him by the maid.  
  
Exhausted as they all were, no one left he room for some time. The peace was disturbed then by the maid entering the room.  
  
"Madam, a package has arrived for you."  
  
She laid a large package down on the table, and then hurried out again. The league members watched with interest as the confused Mina opened it. Wrapped inside the large piece of cloth was a painting, or more precise, something that resembled a painting.  
  
"Why is that painting empty?"  
  
Tom blurted out, after the painting has been completely unveiled. Everyone else looked up too, confused. All except Mina, that is. She let go of the painting abruptly, dropping it onto the table.  
  
"What is it, Mrs. Harker?"  
  
Captain Nemo asked, looking worried. Mina stared at the painting, not knowing what to make of it. True, the painting was empty. But that frame was all too familiar.  
  
"I thought I left it there, at the fortress in Siberia.."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You're not very talkative today, Lisa. Is there something wrong?"  
  
Doctor Rosenberg scribbled some notes down, and then looked up at Lisa, who was sitting on her bed as usual, fumbling with her doll.  
  
Lisa shrugged.  
  
"I want to see daddy's paintings."  
  
"The study is locked, Lisa, you can't go in there."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
The little girl's voice sounded shrill. Doctor Rosenberg readjusted his glasses.  
  
"Let's talk about something else, Lisa. Tell me about Mr. Dorian Gray. Have you seen him lately?"  
  
"No."  
  
Dr. Rosenberg scribbled down some more notes.  
  
"Is he gone?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The doctor sighed. Talking to Lisa has become exceptionally hard lately. But he was hoping the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Gray would help the girl's condition.  
  
"Is he coming back?"  
  
"He said he would."  
  
Lisa clutched Miss Mina tighter to her small body. Mr. Gray did say he would come back, after he has taken care of some business.  
  
"Did Mr. Gray also say where he went?"  
  
Lisa remained silent. She wasn't sure whether she's allowed to tell or not. Maybe Doctor Rosenberg didn't like Mr. Gray..  
  
"Lisa?"  
  
"Mr. Gray said he went to see Miss Mina and her friends."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
AN: Cliffhanger? Probably not :) I know noting really exciting happened in this chapter, but chapter 3 is going to be better! 


	3. Dicoveries

DISCLAIMER: See previous two chapters.  
  
*********  
  
-The Immortality of Dorian Gray-  
  
Chapter 3: Discoveries  
  
The League wasn't feeling relaxed and peaceful now. Everyone was asking themselves the same question. 'What does this mean?' The idea of Dorian Gray being alive and well again was shocking, at the very least. But more importantly: How did he manage to resurrect himself?  
  
Mina Harker was on her feet, pacing around the room nervously. She still could see the day she killed Dorian clearly in her mind. She thought she'd finally gotten over his death. Were all those days of mourning wasted?  
  
No one spoke. The empty painting lay untouched on the table. After some time, it was Tom who broke the awkward silence.  
  
"So... What are we going to do?"  
  
Everyone turned to Mina at this question. She paused for a moment, and then cleared her throat.  
  
"We're going to find him. We must know for sure whether he is truly alive or not."  
  
Captain Nemo and Tom nodded in agreement. Then the room was silent again. No one spoke up to ask about a plan, or anything. Then suddenly Mina strode over to the table on which the painting lay. She picked it up, turned it around, then put on her glasses and studied the backside carefully. Every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on her (even invisible ones), and wondered what she was doing.  
  
"Here it is."  
  
Mina held the painting up. Those who were sitting stood up to have a closer look. On the backside there was a small label in the right corner:  
  
Arthur Mason Hartford Avenue 40 London (*)  
  
"Arthur Mason... That name doesn't really ring a bell."  
  
Skinner voice said from somewhere behind Mina. She wrapped the painting in the cloth again, while the others already prepared to leave.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anne sat in the Mason's dining room, polishing the silver. They haven't been polished for a long time, and you could see it. The work was hard enough to keep the maid's mind off Lisa and her hallucinations. Yes, that's what Doctor Rosenberg called Lisa's mysterious Dorian Gray. A hallucination, a desperate attempt to replace her dead father.  
  
Anne wasn't sure what to think of all this. She grew more tired of Lisa and this house by the day. It was too big and too quiet for her liking. Perhaps it was time to move on. She should find herself a fine young man to marry, and settle down. But what should become of Lisa, she didn't know.  
  
A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She frowned as she put down the silver she was polishing. Doctor Rosenberg wasn't coming today. And no one else ever came to visit. She hurried to the door as the knocks became more urgent. She opened the door carefully, as though she was expecting some thief or robber.  
  
"Excuse me, I am Mrs. Mina Harker. Does Mr. Arthur Mason live here?"  
  
The woman who spoke wore dark clothes with a matching hat. She also wore a scarf, although it wasn't exceptionally cold. And behind her stood a very odd group: A handsome young man with blonde curls and a playful smile on his face, a stony faced, foreign looking man with extremely odd clothing and a wild beard, and a well-dressed gentleman who looked quite nervous.  
  
Anne looked confused at this question.  
  
"Mr. Mason died a few months ago, madam."  
  
The group exchanged worried glances. Mrs. Harker then turned back to Anne.  
  
"I'm very sorry to hear this. What about his wife? Or children?"  
  
"His wife is dead too, madam. And as for his children, he only has one daughter."  
  
Mina looked thoughtful. The situation was more complicated than she had imagined.  
  
"May we please see the young Miss Mason?"  
  
Anne eyes the group suspiciously.  
  
"Are you family?"  
  
"We are, ah, good friends."  
  
Anne wasn't completely convinced, but if they spoke the truth, this could be the solution to her problems. Curiosity got the better of her then, and she stepped aside to let them in.  
  
"Elizabeth is upstairs in her room. She's been a bit confused after her parents' death. It's quite tragic, really."  
  
Mina nodded as she stepped in, taking off her hat.  
  
"Elizabeth's room is just up the stairs to your right. But I have to warn you that she's not been very talkative lately. Oh, and she doesn't like being called Elizabeth. Her father always called her Lisa..."  
  
Mina nodded again.  
  
"Thank you. We will be sure not to upset her in any way."  
  
Anne nodded, and then hurried away to the kitchen to finish her work.  
  
"This place feels like a haunted house, if you ask me. And looks like one too."  
  
Said Skinner's voice from thin air while they climbed the stairs. Everyone flinched and turned to him.  
  
"Please, Mr. Skinner! Someone could have heard you!"  
  
Responded Dr. Jekyll in a whisper. Some murmuring could be heard in response to that. Then the group was silent again.  
  
Mina knocked on the door as they reached Lisa's room. A light shuffling could be heard from inside.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
A muffled girl's voice asked.  
  
"We're some of your father's friends. Can we come in?"  
  
There was a short pause.  
  
"I suppose..."  
  
Mina pushed the door open and entered, followed by the other league members. The room was dark, probably because the curtains were drawn. The little girl sitting on her bed stared at them with big, dark eyes. Mina sat down on the corner of her bed.  
  
"Don't be afraid. My name is Mina Harker. This is Tom Sawyer..."  
  
Tom grinned happily at her  
  
". Captain Nemo, and Dr. Henry Jekyll."  
  
They nodded at her in greeting. Skinner walked to the window and leaned against the wall, so not to stand in someone's way and cause the girl to panic.  
  
Lisa's clutched her doll closer to her.  
  
"I know you."  
  
She said, before Mina could say anything else.  
  
"Mr. Gray told me about you."  
  
The league members exchanged excited glances. Mina moved a bit closer to Lisa.  
  
"Do you mean Dorian Gray?"  
  
The girl nodded.  
  
"What did he say about us, Lisa?"  
  
Mina asked her with the steadiest voice she could manage at that moment.  
  
"Did you see him? Do you know where he is?"  
  
Lisa looked around the room at everyone.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
They waited for her to continue. Lisa turned to Mina and stared intently at her.  
  
"He told me you've hurt him. He said you're in trouble. All of you are."  
  
She looked around the room again. Tom crossed his arms nervously. They turned to Mina again, waiting for her reaction.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Oh, how wonderful life is, marveled Dorian Gray as he was sitting in the soft leather chair in Arthur Mason's study, admiring all the paintings decorating the walls. Dorian had to admit that this Mason was a true collector. Some of the art pieces here were really rare.  
  
He was up here quite often. The house is too big for anyone to notice him. Only the maid and the girl live here. The rest of the household staff only came here to do their work. No one stayed here longer than necessary. They didn't feel comfortable here. They said the house was hunted and cursed.  
  
Well, it certainly is haunted now.  
  
Dorian Gray smirked at the thought. The foolish maid didn't know someone else had another spare key to this room after she'd locked it. Namely he, Dorian Gray, the immortal extraordinaire.  
  
Maybe tomorrow he'll pay his dear old friends a visit. He always loved dramatic entries. But this reunion won't be sweet and joyful, oh no.  
  
After all, they have to pay for banishing him into that cursed painting.  
  
***********  
  
AN: Pppfffff.. Loooooong chapter. I typed it too fast, now I can't feel my fingers anymore! *blink* Well, hope you enjoyed it, and *wink* I love reviews... *hint* :) 


	4. The Picture of Elizabeth Mason

DISCLAIMER: Would you believe me if I told you I DID own LXG and all its characters? o.O  
  
********  
  
-The Immortality of Dorian Gray-  
  
Chapter 4: The Picture of Elizabeth Mason  
  
"Ah, welcome, Mr. Collins."  
  
Anne opened the door to let a middle-aged, well-dressed man in. He took off his hat and greeted the maid politely.  
  
"Mr. Mason's study is just up the stairs, sir. He keeps all his collected paintings there."  
  
Mr. Collins nodded with a smile.  
  
"We're very grateful you've decided to sell us Mr. Mason's paintings, Ms. Larkin. He was known for his fine taste for art, such a shame he passed away."  
  
Mr. Collins worked at a large art gallery in London. Anne had contacted them about the paintings of Mr. Mason. They sent someone here right away, since they've been trying to get Arthur Mason to sell some of his collector's items for years.  
  
Anne nodded, starting up the stairs. As they reached the locked doors, Mr. Collins raised an eyebrow.  
  
"May I ask why this room is locked?"  
  
"For. for safety-keeping, sir."  
  
Anne blushed slightly, and quickly pushed open the door.  
  
"Here we are."  
  
Mr. Collins entered the large room, and looked around in admiration.  
  
"Mr. Mason was truly a gifted art collector. Some of these paintings are worth a fortune apiece!"  
  
"I'm pleased to hear that, Mr. Collins."  
  
Actually, she wasn't that pleased. She couldn't help to feel a stitch a jealousy towards Lisa. Anne came from a poor family, and she knew the daughter would inherit everything. With the family's fortunes, the house and the money the paintings would bring, Lisa would easily be one of the richest ladies of London.  
  
She shook away her train of thoughts, and walked over to the desk to dust it off a bit. She was about to lift up the notebooks when she realized something. 'Odd,' she thought. 'I could have sworn I left these notebooks on the left side of the desk...' Oh well. Maybe she remembered wrong. After all, the door was locked the whole time.  
  
"What's inside this trunk?"  
  
Anne looked up at Mr. Collins, who was standing beside an old trunk beside a bookshelf.  
  
"Oh, that. Mr. Mason stashed all the less exquisite paintings in there. I think they're all about worthless."  
  
"May I have a look in it anyway?"  
  
"Of course, sir. Why not."  
  
Anne joined Mr. Collins as he opened the trunk out of curiosity. Mr. Mason never showed the trunk's contents to anyone. She watched with interest as Collins took out the old paintings in it one by one. So far there weren't any truly interesting works among them.  
  
"Why, this painting is absolutely stunning! I wonder why it isn't on the walls!"  
  
Mr. Collins held up a portrait-sized painting featuring a small, smiling girl with dark brown curls and rosy lips. There was nothing in the background, but it was undeniable. The face was painted so well and realistic; it looked as if the girl would start talking any time.  
  
"That's Mr. Mason's only daughter, Elizabeth. I've never seen this painting before. I wonder why it's in the trunk..."  
  
Mr. Collins stood up, still admiring the painting.  
  
"I'll take this one too. This is truly a work of art."  
  
He turned the painting around, studying every inch of it.  
  
"That's odd... The name of the artist who painted this isn't written anywhere."  
  
"Well, maybe he chose to stay anonymous, sir."  
  
Collins nodded.  
  
"Well, I've got all of them now. Would you be so kind and help me carry these painting to my carriage?"  
  
"Of course, sir."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A dark form watched the maid and the other man from an alley as they loaded the paintings into the carriage. His eyes narrowed as he saw that particular painting among all the others. 'This was not planned,' thought Dorian Gray. 'They weren't supposed to take that one.'  
  
He pulled the cloak tighter around him, and followed the carriage as it pulled away from the house.  
  
'Then I'll just have to get it back.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The League was on board the Nautilus yet again. They decided that Mina's house wasn't safe enough when Dorian paid them an unexpected visit. They all sat in the conference room, trying to figure out what Dorian's next move would be.  
  
"What could Dorian possibly want from Elizabeth Mason?" Mina wondered out loud.  
  
They shrugged.  
  
"Maybe he just needed a place to hide." Tom said.  
  
Mina rubbed her temples. She didn't sleep for quite some time. Not that she really need the rest, but all the stress and thinking was given her a bad headache.  
  
"Captain! We've just received a Morse message!"  
  
One of Nemo's crewmembers rushed in, holding a piece of paper. Everyone stared Nemo as he 'translated' the message.  
  
"That's Dorian's address." Mina stated with a frown.  
  
"Did Gray send the message?" Dr. Jekyll asked.  
  
"Do we go there? You don't really expect Gray to be right there in his house, do you?" Skinner asked, ignoring Jekyll's question.  
  
"I think we should go and see, just in case." said Tom, already standing up.  
  
Mina nodded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dorian watched as policemen hurried to the scene, trying to break the wrecked carriage open, in attempt to save anyone inside it. But Dorian knew it was too late for Mr. Collins. He took the cloak off, clutched his cane, and strolled down the street like any normal gentleman. Under his arm he held a covered painting. The whole carriage 'incident' was a bit too messy for his liking, though. He prefers to keep murders clean and quiet.  
  
But he's got the painting back, and that's all that matters.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mr. Gray?"  
  
Lisa wondered through the house, looking for her new best friend. He said he would come back, but the little girl grew impatient. It was already dark outside. Lisa was alone at home. Anne was at the art gallery, sorting out a problem with the paintings the bought that afternoon.  
  
"Mr. Gray?"  
  
She went down the stairs, slowly. One step at a time. The house was dark and quiet, but Lisa wasn't afraid, like most children are. She was always a bit different than others.  
  
She held Miss Mina to her tightly, and looked around the dark. Mr. Gray clearly wasn't in the house anymore. Maybe he was outside....  
  
Lisa stood on her toes, and slowly opened the front door. The street out there was empty, but the air smelled fresh, and it reminded Lisa of summertime, when her parents took her out to parks that smelled of flowers and trees.  
  
So she stepped out into the night.  
  
***********  
  
AN: Another long chapter, phew. Hope you like it. :) This story is going somewhere, yes (it has a plot! Surprise!). A big part of the mystery will be revealed in the next one or two chapters. Alright? Reviews please! ^^ 


	5. Survivor

DISCLAIMER: Zzzzzzzz...  
  
AN: I'm still alive!! Yes, really.  
  
************  
  
-The Immortality of Dorian Gray-  
  
Chapter 5: Survivor  
  
It was raining. Again. Tom glanced sideward to his companions. Mina didn't seem bothered by the weather; then again, he wasn't sure if vampires sensed things the way humans did. Nemo chose to stay on the Nautilus; probably afraid Dorian would steal something of his precious ship again. Dr. Jekyll stayed too, as he really didn't like Dorian that much. So it was just him, Mina and Skinner, silently marching through the streets of London towards a certain Mr. Gray's residence.  
  
As it was night and raining, most of the streets were empty. Light came from inside the houses, were families sat comfortably in their living rooms. But this lane was dark, coincidence or not. Mina looked up at the darkened windows of Dorian's house, as if trying to find a proof of life.  
  
"So, you think we should knock, or just force the door open?"  
  
Said Skinner, looking slightly green in the dark because of his white make- up. Mina didn't answer, so Tom cleared his throat and raised a hand to knock. They all tensed as the door opened soundlessly after the first knock. They looked at each other, and Mina swept passed them silently into the house.  
  
The place looked unchanged. It was still dark and gloomy, and the missing painting among the others was still missing. There was only one room that was ever lit in the house. And Dorian was there, with his back turned to the shocked trio who has just entered the library.  
  
He took another sip from the expensive goblet he was holding, and turned around slowly.  
  
"Well? Are you going to say something?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Water splattered around as Lisa crossed the street. The rain was annoying her. It was making Miss Mina wet. She wasn't sure where she was going, but something was guiding her. Maybe it was Mr. Gray? Oh, wait. She recognized this street. It led to the docks. Papa used to take her there to see pretty ships. She skipped a few steps, muttering words to herself.  
  
"Pretty ships.. "  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Skinner was the first one to move of the three. He took a step forward and with that Tom unfroze too. He aimed his Winchester at Dorian in less than a second. Dorian smirked and put down the goblet.  
  
"Sawyer, Sawyer. You know that's useless against me, dear boy. "  
  
But Tom kept it aimed at Dorian as he came towards them, turning to Mina first.  
  
"It is good to see you, Mina. Really."  
  
She stared at Dorian, her face expressionless. He nodded to her in greeting, then turned to the table in the center of the library.  
  
"How did you-"  
  
Tom started to ask the question that was on everyone's mind from the beginning, but he was interrupted by Dorian.  
  
"While you have been out saving the world, I bet you weren't informed regularly of the news here in England, am I right?"  
  
He handed a folded section of a newspaper to Mina. She eyed Dorian with suspicion, and unfolded it. It was the front page, with the headline:  
  
GIRL SURVIVES TRAGEDY  
  
And a picture of a wrecked carriage was placed beneath it. Mina knew a picture in a newspaper was a rare and special thing. She read the lines of the article quickly, and frowned after she finished, and passed it on to Tom. She looked up to Dorian.  
  
"I don't understand, Dorian. So Elizabeth Mason survived an accident. We already knew her parents were dead."  
  
Dorian sighed.  
  
"Didn't you read the article? The carriage was practically torn apart. The doors were bolted, there was no way out. No one could have survived that, dear Mina."  
  
Mina stared back at him.  
  
"Don't you believe in miracles, Dorian?"  
  
"It must have been some grand miracle then. Little Lisa came out of it perfectly unscathed. No blood, no wounds, not even one single scratch. Even the doctors got scared. It was the most popular topic in town for weeks."  
  
Skinner put the newspaper aside after reading it, and crossed his arms.  
  
"Then what's your theory, Gray?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I'd say her father knew someone would plot some kind of murder attempt against him and his family, so he took some... extra precautions."  
  
He pointed to a painting on his right. Mina saw it, and gasped.  
  
***************  
  
AN: Another attempt to create a cliffhanger... Now remember people, reviews make me happy! ^^ 


End file.
